It’s good to be a light heavyweight champion these days.
OK, let’s face it. It’s probably never a bad time to rule the 175-pound weight class.
But it seems to mean a little more here in the first month of 2024, where the two lead dogs in the division share simultaneous billing as two of the world’s best pound-for-pound operators, too.
Dmitry Bivol has been a mainstay on most respected P4P lists since competitively undressing Canelo Alvarez two years ago this May and has kept said status with schoolings of ex-168-pound claimant Gilberto Ramirez and once-beaten British export Lyndon Arthur.
The Arthur victory last month got him to 11-0 as the WBA’s top-tier belt-holder and allowed him to renew a claim to Big Man on Campus position at light heavyweight, leaving fellow claimant Artur Beterbiev the chance to present his evidence against Callum Smith last Saturday night in Quebec.
And present it, he did.
The soon-to-be 39-year-old, who’ll celebrate a birthday on Sunday, has been compiling and defending belts at 175 for six years — beginning with a last-minute stop of Enrico Koelling for the IBF strap in 2017, adding the WBC’s jewelry with an abrupt conquering of then-unbeaten Oleksandr Gvozdyk in 2019, and securing the WBO’s bauble with a violent blowout of Joe Smith Jr. in 2022.
Eight title fights, in fact, had yielded eight KOs across 60 rounds of ring work and stocked a trophy case that he risked against Smith, a former king at 168, in a highly anticipated 12-rounder.
Smith was taller, longer, younger and unbeaten in the weight class, albeit in just two fights and against foes only generously considered high level. He’d arguably had the best career of any of Beterbiev’s victims upon arriving in Quebec City and had more than a few educated onlookers — including former Ring editor and current Sirius XM radio host Randy Gordon — suggesting an upset was imminent.
Spoiler alert. It wasn’t.
Not only did Beterbiev win his 20th fight, defend his IBF belt for an eighth time and keep a pristine KO rate with a methodical bludgeoning of the 33-year-old Liverpudlian, he left many observers thinking the handiwork was enough to make a case for supplanting Bivol atop the mountain.
“After watching on Saturday,” Gordon told Boxing Scene, “I can’t see how Bivol holds Beterbiev off for 12 rounds.”
Ex-HBO mic man Jim Lampley, as big a Bivol admirer as there is around the sport these days, told Boxing Scene that Beterbiev is “the most complete knockout artist in the sport” and said their awkward dance around and toward one another could ultimately result in a showdown that’d be a must see.
“Pick-’em fight, and they have circled each other expectantly going back to their amateur careers,” he said. “Rivals, not friends. Beterbiev sells. Bivol beat Canelo. Can’t-miss fight.”
Both principals are on record saying they want it. And Bob Arum, Beterbiev’s promoter, said after Saturday’s fight that working out details is all that remains to get it finalized, likely in the second half of the year in Riyadh — three months or so after Ramadan ends in early April.
“It’s not done yet,” Arum said.
“But absolutely we want to do it. I’ll be talking to my friend His Excellency Turki Alalshikh (chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Entertainment). I know he wants to do it.”
In the meantime, we wait.
And now that we know where Beterbiev and Bivol stand among today’s light heavies, what better way to wait than pondering how they’d fare against the division’s best (listed by number of title-fight wins in the weight class), say, since 2000?
Sergey Kovalev — 26-4 (22), 13 title fights
The “Krusher” was all that and more in his menacing prime from 2013 to 2016 but it feels like Beterbiev has advanced the craft. He’d have maybe been more a challenge for a lighter-hitting guy like Bivol unless the WBA champ could find a way to dissuade his advances. Beterbiev WIN, Bivol WIN.
Adonis Stevenson — 17-1-1 (14), 9 title fights
It would have been a fascinating matchup of Montreal-based sluggers between Beterbiev and the “Superman,” who was a murderous left-hand puncher and didn’t shy from scraps. Bivol may have given Stevenson some concerns for as long as he could avoid the heaviest blows. Beterbiev WIN, Bivol WIN.
Roy Jones Jr. — 13-5 (7), 8 title fights
The Jones who operated at 175 prior to the rise to heavyweight to beat John Ruiz would have been a prohibitive pick to beat almost anyone, in his or subsequent eras. The combination of hard speed, footwork and power made him one of the all-time greats. Period. Beterbiev LOSS, Bivol LOSS.
Chad Dawson — 19-3 (7), 8 title fights
People forget how athletic “Bad Chad” was before an ill-advised dip to face Andre Ward at 168 and a later blowout by Stevenson at 175. He handled Bernard Hopkins and Antonio Tarver (twice), but Beterbiev’s aggression and power equal a bad match. Bivol’s a closer call. Beterbiev WIN, Bivol DRAW.
Dariusz Michalczewski — 7-2 (7), 7 title fights
The “Polish Tiger” is a popular inclusion among all-timers at 175 but his post-2000 resume doesn’t read quite as impressively. He’d worn down from some tough fights by then and a style that saw him get tagged wouldn’t be a good M.O. against Beterbiev. Bivol, too, too tricky. Beterbiev WIN, Bivol WIN.
Bernard Hopkins — 9-4-1 (0), 4 title fights
“B-Hop” or “The Executioner” or “The Alien” was a marvel at every stage of his remarkable career but he was troubled by uber-aggressive punchers and tricky boxers by the time he got to 175. Remember, neither Beterbiev nor Bivol is Jean Pascal or Beibut Shumenov. Beterbiev WIN, Bivol WIN.
Antonio Tarver — 10-6 (4), 3 title fights
The “Magic Man” will be forever, and rightfully, remembered for “Got any excuses tonight, Roy?” KO of Jones. But he lost to Hopkins, Glen Johnson, and twice to Dawson in the aftermath and was neither powerful enough to offset Beterbiev nor dynamic enough to catch Bivol. Beterbiev WIN, Bivol WIN.
Andre Ward — 5-0 (2), 2 title fights
The “S.O.G.” didn’t spend a lot of time at 175 outside of a few tune-ups and the two defeats of Kovalev. But it’s hard to suggest anyone beats a guy who never lost a pro fight. Maybe Beterbiev would have overwhelmed him. Maybe Bivol would have driven him nuts. Maybe not. Beterbiev LOSS, Bivol LOSS.
FINAL SCORE:
Beterbiev — 6-2
Bivol — 5-2-1
**********
This week’s title-fight schedule:
No title fights scheduled.
Last week’s picks: 1-1 (WIN: Moloney; LOSS: Smith)
2023 picks record: 47-18 (72.3 percent)
Overall picks record: 1,298-426 (75.2 percent)
NOTE: Fights previewed are only those involving a sanctioning body’s full-fledged title-holder – no interim, diamond, silver, etc. Fights for WBA “world championships” are only included if no “super champion” exists in the weight class.
Lyle Fitzsimmons has covered professional boxing since 1995 and written a weekly column for Boxing Scene since 2008. Reach him at fitzbitz@msn.com or follow him on Twitter – @fitzbitz.